Liston vs. Martin

[BattlingNelson]

Fine quality here of a fight I've just seen for the first time. It was to be the last fight of Leotis Martin and the penultimate fight of Liston.

[Willow The Wisp]

Well, we're all only human. Goes without saying that Liston's age (39 - 45) had everything to do with the result, and Leotis could certainly crack. I remember being shocked at this fight though, as Sonny, in spite of being a decade past peak (ans peak came older than most), was 14-0 post Ali II in Lewiston against decent opposition, and he hoped for one more title shot.
For many of us this sudden KO served to reframe and reset discussion about the Lewiston KO plausibility.

[BattlingNelson]

Well, we're all only human. Goes without saying that Liston's age (39 - 45) had everything to do with the result, and Leotis could certainly crack. I remember being shocked at this fight though, as Sonny, in spite of being a decade past peak (ans peak came older than most), was 14-0 post Ali II in Lewiston against decent opposition, and he hoped for one more title shot.
For many of us this sudden KO served to reframe and reset discussion about the Lewiston KO plausibility.

Liston looked fat and in not exactly stellar conditioning despite what Cosell said. Nevertheless he was well ahead and knocked Martin down with a good left hook early in the fight. Martins face became more and more swollen, and he did sustain a detached retina that unfortunately ended his career.

Martin took over and had a big 8th round really busting Liston up before flattening him hard in the next round.

Yes and for some reason Cosell kept mentioning the phantom punch making me realize how much he has meant to the general perception of boxing and boxers in the US in the 60s and 70s.

I kinda liked his commentary, but feel the Don Dunphy was better.

[Slugfester]

Liston looked fat and in not exactly stellar conditioning despite what Cosell said. Nevertheless he was well ahead and knocked Martin down with a good left hook early in the fight. Martins face became more and more swollen, and he did sustain a detached retina that unfortunately ended his career.

Martin took over and had a big 8th round really busting Liston up before flattening him hard in the next round.

Yes and for some reason Cosell kept mentioning the phantom punch making me realize how much he has meant to the general perception of boxing and boxers in the US in the 60s and 70s.

I kinda liked his commentary, but feel the Don Dunphy was better.

I definitely prefer Dunphy's blow by blow rendering. He would be far better on radio than Cosell. But Cosell had a big range as a sports journalist and could carry it right into the personal realm. I really only saw Don as a great blow by blow announcer and never knew him to do anything else. Did Don do something else?

[kara]

When I first clicked I thought it was Liston vs. Charles Martin..... I was about to say how Martin would get killed in a round... LOL

[QueensburyRules]

Liston looked fat and in not exactly stellar conditioning despite what Cosell said. Nevertheless he was well ahead and knocked Martin down with a good left hook early in the fight. Martins face became more and more swollen, and he did sustain a detached retina that unfortunately ended his career.

Martin took over and had a big 8th round really busting Liston up before flattening him hard in the next round.

Yes and for some reason Cosell kept mentioning the phantom punch making me realize how much he has meant to the general perception of boxing and boxers in the US in the 60s and 70s.

I kinda liked his commentary, but feel the Don Dunphy was better.

- - Cosell a terrible egoist know it all. Tried to shape what was being seen instead of just presenting a few basics as they were occurring.

Dunphy rules over all announcers by far as it was all about the boxers and the fight, not Dunphy.

[shawnkemp804]

When I first clicked I thought it was Liston vs. Charles Martin..... I was about to say how Martin would get killed in a round... LOL

If Leotis Martin a natural 190 pound guy could knock out this version of Liston then so could Charles Martin.

[Ivich]

If Leotis Martin a natural 190 pound guy could knock out this version of Liston then so could Charles Martin.

The key words being."this version".
Do we know that Charles Martin hit harder than Leotis?
Martin was 199lbs for Liston.

[GhostofDempsey]

Cosell was a "network man" and a shill for Ali. A lot of sportswriters, boxing journalists and announcers didn't approve of Liston and never truly accepted him or gave him is due respect. Larry Merchant was particularly cruel towards Liston in his articles. Liston was likely over 40 years old in this fight. Just didn't have the stamina anymore. It made his win over Wepner a bit more impressive. Wepner said Liston was the strongest he faced and punched harder than Foreman.